tincture of envy is, in this cafe, natural, and therefore in fome degree pardonable. When envy fwells to too great a fize, it is then not only vicious, but abfurd and odious; abfurd, because it purfues torment for pleafure; and odious, as the enemy of all focial delight. As the beft Burgundy, when fpoiled, produces the most poignant vinegar; fo the fuperannuated beauty turns into the sharpeft and moft acrimonious old maid, and her illnature, in the decline of life, is proportioned to the vanity of her youth.

A country town is the proper theatre of the envious old maid. She deals in anonymous letters, and the mischief which the occafions in families is her fupreme delight. She does her bufinefs very often without uttering a word: a fignificant glance of her eye, and an artful shake of the head, will often ruin a fair reputation. This is fully exemplified in the character of Mrs. Winifred Wormwood. This lady looked like the innocent flower, but was the ferpent under it. Her various artifices to gratify her fell difpofition are painted in ftrong colours, and the ftory of Nelfon and Amelia, interwoven with the hiftory of Mrs. Wormwood, is beautifully told. The moral, drawn from the narrative, is in the words of the ancient philofopher, who used to say, “As ruft confumes iron, fo does envy the envious perfon." The ladies are, therefore, cautioned to improve their features by the exercise of good-nature.

The fecond part of the first volume proceeds to the AMIABLE qualities of ancient maids. Their Ingenuity is the first topic. While other antiquaries are employed in finding old ruins of Gothic architecture, our Author travels the country in pursuit of curious characters among superannuated maids. Having given this information concerning himself, he relates the hiftory of Dolor Coral, and his daughter, Theodora. He has the art of killing two birds with one stone; for though his purpose be to produce an extraordinary old maid, he prefents us, in his account of the Doctor, with a fly fatire on those who profefs the character of Antiquaries. The daughter, as the defcended into the vale of years, became the greateft rarity in her father's collection. She was a contented old maid, endeavouring, by filial tenderness, and elegant ingenuity, to adminifter every comfort to a father in the decline of life. Mr. Hayley feems, generally, best pleased when giving a tale, that carries with it an imitation of life and manners. He is often happy upon thefe occafions,

but in none more so than in the account of Doctor Coral and his family.

The Patience of old maids comes next under confideration. Of this virtue, the virgin martyrs who fuffered in the first ages of Chriftianity are mentioned as bright examples. But he, who had the History of Conftantia to relate, and could find for his nar

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rative fo many graces of ftyle, had no occafion to go back to ancient times. The entire paffage would draw us into great length; and to give it piece-meal, or condenfed into an abridgment, would be an injury to a very interefting and beautiful ftory. The conclufion gives us reafon to imagine that this pleafing tale has its foundation in truth. Having acquainted us with the manner of Conftantia's death, the Author thus addreffes her departed foul:

Farewell! thou gentle and benevolent fpirit. If, in thy present fcene of happier exiftence, thou art confcious of fublunary occurrences, difdain not this imperfect memorial of thy fufferings and thy virtues! and if the pages I am now writing fhould fall into the hand of any indigent and dejected maiden, whofe ill fortune may be fimilar to thine, may they footh and diminish the difquietude of her life, and prepare her to meet the close of it with piety and compofure.'

The Charity of old maids, in the next place, attracts the author's notice, and, in this chapter, he has given a view of fome very agreeable scenes in human life. Such representations are, as Dryden expreffes it, the theft of the poets from mankind. We wifh it were confiftent with the limits of our review to lay this whole chapter before our Readers; but fince that cannot be conveniently done, we will not do fo much injustice to the Author, as to give the broken members of his work. Whoever has a mind to enjoy the plea'ure arifing from the contemplation of amiable characters, drawn with truth and elegance, is referred to the original for the account of Charieffa, the portrait of Meletina, and, above all, the exquifite hiftory of Angelica. The power of charity and benevolent affections, to fill the mind with folid enjoyments and true happiness, is here difplayed in the most beautiful colouring:

Mr. Hayley concludes his firft volume with faying,

Perhaps, if a juft chronicle of old maids had been kept since the creation, it would have prefented to us many examples of virtue and benevolence. But of the ancient virgins of a remoter period I fhall fpeak at large in the fubfequent part of this Essay. I fhall, to the utmost of my abilities, collect all the scattered rays of light, with which antiquity can fupply me, for the illuftration of fo interefting a fubject. To rival the curious researches of our prefent moft celebrated antiquaries, and in the wide field, which I have chofen, to leave no bush or bramble unexplored, I fhall enquire in the firft chapter of the fecond volume, if there ever exifted an ANTEDILUVIAN OLD MAID.'

The Author keeps his promife, and, indeed, with great humour; having given, in a vein of ferious pleafantry, his profound refearches concerning virgins before the Deluge, he goes on, in several fubfequent chapters, to enquire into the state of old maidism among the Jews, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the

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Roman Veftals before the Chriftian æra, and the increase of old.. maids after that period. This part of the work is a pleasant frolic of imagination, and a lively fatire on the learned labours of thofe profound antiquarians, who spend their lives in the invef-1 tigation of important matters which nobody values but themfelves. The opinions of feveral of the fathers, fuch as Saint Gregory of Nyffa, St. Ambrofe, and Chryfoftom, are placed in a ridiculous light. The monaftic old maids, who diftinguished themselves by their talents, are here recorded, and fome old maids of the new world are added to the lift. These materials, with some other miscellaneous obfervations, and a fermon to old maids, compofe the second and third volumes of this ferio-comic performance.

The first volume coming more home to men's business and bofoms, is the most interesting; and fhews that the Author has talents for that fpecies of compofition, called the comic novel. In the fubfequent parts, he difplays his reading, and at the fame time laughs at the antiquarians in a pleafing style of ironical gravity. The whole is interfperfed with curious paffages from ancient authors, and the reader is occafionally relieved with agreeable compofitions in verfe. Were we to hint a fault, we fhould fay that the enquiry into antiquity is carried to too great: a length. It is a part of the Author's plan, which, from its nature, cannot be interefting to the generality of readers. The first volume, we repeat, is interefting, and fhews that the Author is not only an attentive obferver of life, but that he has the talents which conftitute an elegant moral painter.

ART. XIX. Der Zustand des Staats, der Religeon, der Gelehrsamkeit, and der Kunft in Gros Britannien, gegen das Ende des Achtzehnten Fabr Hunderts. Von D. Gebh. Friedr. Aug. Wendeborn, Prediger in London. The State of Government, Religion, Literature, and the Arts, in Great Britain, towards the Clofe of the 18th Century. By D. G. F. Aug. Wendeborn, Minifter of a German Church in London. 3 Vols. 12mo. Berlin.

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EW works are read with more eagerness, or afford more rational amusement, than those which defcribe the customs, manners, laws, political conftitution, &c. of foreign countries. It is however to be lamented that the popularity of the fubject tempts fo many to undertake it who are difqualified for. the business. Indeed, from the nature of the subject itself, very few travellers can be fuppofed competent to the tafk. It requires free access to the genuine fources of information and capacity to make a due improvement of this advantage: it requires an extenfive knowledge of various countries, in order to

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difcern what is peculiar to each: it requires that the author fhould diveft himself of every prepoffeffion, and that he should know where to praife, and where to cenfure. Every country has its advantages and disadvantages; and in fome, these are fo nicely blended that it may be difficult to discover in which either of these predominate; the inconveniences in the one, being counterbalanced by conveniences of which others are deftitute. And where climate, government, or manners are the moft inauspicious, oppreffive, or difgufting to a ftranger, the evils are not felt or perceived by the natives. In the former cafe, the difficulty of investigation arifes from the nature of the fubject itself; and in the latter from those involuntary and almost pardonable prepoffeffions, which require the strongest efforts of the human mind to conquer them.

Dr. W. feems to poffefs no inconfiderable portion of these requifites. He is well known among us, as a man of learning and abilities. He has refided almost twenty years in the metropolis of England, and has employed much of the time in making obfervations, and in collecting copious materials for the work before us. Where the facts are of fuch a nature that they could not fall under his own immediate observation, he affures us that he has been careful to obtain information from the most authentic fources; and his remarks, in general, are fuch as fhew him to be a philofophic obferver of mankind.

The fubjects treated in thefe volumes, fome of which are. examined with a critical minutenefs, and others give rife to many pertinent remarks, are, The Form of Government-Power of the King-Houfe of Peers, and different Orders of Nobility-Houfe of Commons-The People-Land and Naval Force- National Expenditures, Debts, and Refources-The Poor-Trade and Manufactures contraband Trade. Thefe compofe the first volume. The fecond treats of The Laws and Courts of Justice-London-Character of the English-Directions to Strangers. The third is devoted to the State of Religion in Great Britain, and contains ftrictures upon the Epifcopal Church-Methodifm-Toleration-Diffenters, under which title are comprehended, Prefbyterians, Independents, Roman Catholics, Quakers, and Jews-The Church of Scotland, with the Seceders and Nonjurors-Religious Opinions, from the extremes of Antinomianifm to Atheism; nor is the State of the Foreign Churches in London, omitted.

Dr. W. profeffedly intends this work for his own countrymen; being encouraged by the favourable reception of a smaller treatise upon England, publifhed fome years ago. He acknowledges, that, in his attempts to give a more accurate, circumftantial, and impartial account of this celebrated island than his predeceffors have given, he is actuated by the defire of moderating, in fome degree, the indifcriminate and enthusiastic

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admiration of it, which prevails fo much in Germany. fays, that upon his first arrival, he was under the influence of all thofe prejudices which flattering defcriptions had excited. But, after a more intimate acquaintance, and deeper researches, these prejudices were removed. England (fays he) ftill remains, in my opinion, one of the first, if not the very first nation upon the globe; but it is time that the extravagant notions entertained by my countrymen fhould be fomewhat reftrained. I obferve (fays he) much good; I fee many beauties; but by no means fo much and fo many as I had expected. I have difcovered, and I feel many advantages poffeffed by England over my native country; but I have alfo learned that Germany has feveral advantages unknown to England.'

As we may naturally fuppofe that the generality of our readers are well acquainted with the principal facts contained in thefe volumes, we fall chiefly confine our attention to fuch as, from their excellencies or defects, have given our Author occafion to notice them with approbation or cenfure. Thus may we be taught by a foreigner to judge with impartiality of our own excellencies and failings, where his animadverfions appear juft, and where his ardent defire to moderate the too favourable prepoffeffions of his countrymen do not seem to have an undue influence on his remarks.

The boasted and envied liberty of the people, our Author afcribes (in the view he gives of the British conftitution) to their being their own legiflators, by means of their reprefentatives in parliament, and to their being judged by their peers in every criminal procefs. The English (fays he) confider the grant of Magna Charta, in 1215, the Trial by Juries, and the Habeas Corpus act, as the grand pillars of their liberty: which privileges were confirmed and rendered perpetual by grants under subse, quent reigns. Thefe are our advantages; but he confiders the power of the crown, in fome refpects, as more than a counterpoife, as an influence always acting in oppofition to and endangering the liberties of the people. Notwithstanding the monarchy is limited, and the power of the King is in fome refpects retrained, yet he enjoys many privileges, which give him great influ ence in the state. His perfon is deemed facred; the laws take no cognisance of his actions. It is an allowed maxim, that the King can do no wrong. The minifters are anfwerable for every violation of the laws, though committed by royal authority. The King has the right of declaring war, concluding peace, forming leagues, appointing ambaffadors. He is the head of the church, and has the moft lucrative and honourable benefices in his gift.-All appointments in the army and navy are at his difpofal.-He can affemble or diffolve the Parliament at will-and his confent is neceffary to render every parliamentary act valid.-He can create peers of the realm at pleasure. The power of placing his fervants at the head of the Ex

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